Category: Mermaids

Mermaids are one the most popular and loved fictional characters of all times. While some stories portrait them as beautiful ocean princesses, some others showcase terrorizing creatures of the sea that fool pirates into their own deaths.

Real mermaid sightings reported around the world, since long ago times. Real mermaid bodies that will certainly intrigue you.

“British Columbia, 1967 In 1967, British Columbia became a hub of mermaid excitement when, one day, Ferry riders spotted a mermaid lounging on the shore of Mayne Island. They claimed they saw a topless, blonde woman with the tail of a porpoise sitting on the beach shore. Some witnesses even became very upset, as they believed they saw the mermaid eating a raw salmon. One tourist from Iowa even managed to take a picture. After the sighting, the mermaid was seen one more time the following week. As the locals got swept up by the spotting of this mysterious mermaid, the town locals began to seek any information relating to her. The town newspaper, The Colonist, put up a $25,000 reward for the mermaid. Arrangements were even made for the mermaid to have room and board once she was found and successfully acclimated into the town setting. Although many believe that the whole thing was a charade, many still believe that what they saw was real.

Scotland, 1830 Mermaids are a part of Scotland’s countless mysteries and legends. It’s not surprising, then, that there would be many accounts of mermaid sightings. In 1830, the people of the island of Benbecula saw a mermaid. While cutting seaweed near the shore one day, a woman reportedly saw a miniature woman swimming in the water. Surprised by her discovery, she called many people over to view the water dweller. Some men rushed at her in the water, either to catch her or get a closer look, and the woman swam out of reach. Some boys threw stones at the frightened mermaid and one struck her in the back. A few days later, the corpse of the mermaid supposedly washed up on the shore. Like many of the other claims of mermaids, this one was small, with pale white skin and had the tail of a fish without scales. After the discovery, the sheriff of the town thought it only fitting that the mermaid have a proper burial. Someone constructed a coffin and the mermaid, wrapped in a shroud, was laid to rest above the shoreline where she was found. To this day, no one knows exactly where the mermaid was buried as no marker was left to denote the spot.

West Indies, 1614 John Smith, the same John Smith from Pocahontas, reported that he saw a mermaid off the coast of West Indies in 1614. According to the story, Smith saw a woman swimming parallel to the shore. He was captivated by the grace in which she moved and noted that she had ears that were too long, a nose that was too short, eyes that were too round, and green hair. He also noted that the woman was a little attractive from the waist up. From the waist down, however, she was all fish. Some doubt has been thrown on the veracity of the tale, of course, otherwise where would the mystery be. One source claims he wasn’t in the West Indies but in Newfoundland. Another historian says Smith wasn’t in the West Indies in 1614, though he was there in 1607. Potato patato in this case. The same historian suggested that Alexandre Dumas fabricated the tale to give credence to his own mermaid story about a Frenchman searching for a Dutchman who had four children with a mermaid.

Norway, 1608 In 1608, Henry Hudson explored the cold northern waters off Norway. Written in his journal, he describes a day when he encountered a group of mermaids. Hudson claimed a mermaid appeared in the water, saw his crew and called up more of her mermaid sisters. He described the women as being as big as the men in his crew, with very white skin and long dark hair. He claimed their tails looked like a dolphin’s but were spotted like a mackerel. Hudson was thrilled that he had discovered mermaids. What makes this case so strange is that it occurred in the Bering Sea. Most mermaid sightings are discounted as sailors mistaking animals, often manatees, as mermaids. However, no manatees swim the waters of the Bering Sea. Naturalist Philip Henry Gosse, in his mid-1800s work The Romance of Natural History, believes it to be impossible that Hudson mistook an animal for this mermaid. He believes seasoned sailors such as Hudson would be able to identify animals in that location easily. Gosse believes either Hudson made this entire story up or Hudson saw something truly unique to the realm of science. We may never know.”